Holy Buckets! It’s amazing how much time it takes to plan a birthday–for a 5-year old. And of course, said party was on Saturday- the first day the Summer Tickets were on sale. Yeah, I could have jumped on after the party, but have you actually ever BEEN to a party of 15 5-year olds?

Yeah…

So I plan on getting my tickets this week, looking at a day game in July or August, but unfortunately there are precious few day games anymore.. Yeah, they suck when I am home and going to watch the games on TV, but it’s just easier to navigate with a 5-year old during the daylight hours…So we’ll see…

One of the games I would REALLY like to see is on June 23rd against the Angels, when David Ortiz makes it an even dozen–joining the ranks of Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Pedro to be the 11th Red Sox Player to have his number retired at Fenway Park. #12 is of course, the universal retired number of #42, Jackie Robinson…The rest of the best: Joe Cronin, Yaz, Jim Ed, Wade Boggs, and Carlton Fisk…

With Spring Training in 2 weeks (Yay!) the Sox currently have 17 non-roster invitees heading to Florida to explore the possiblity they will be able to remain with the team when it breaks camp. While most of them are guys we have heard little from, some familiar faces include Rusney Castillo and Allen Craig, who maybe some day will be able to stick with the Sox in the bigs. Especially Castillo, who still has a long way to go n the 7-year contract he signed in 2014–to the tune of $72.2 million (UGH)… Allen Craig, if he could only get over his injury issues, could be a contributor, but that seems to be a BIG if these day…

And for the first time since 2002 (!), the Sox had to go to arbitration with a player. And it was, of all people, crappy pitcher, Fernando Abad. Honestly Dave? Why did you not get rid of him before it came to this? He made $1.25 million last year, and was looking to more than DOUBLE his salary to $2.7 million? Really now? You were awful, awful AWFUL, with a 6.39 (BLECH) ERA is less than 13 innings with the Sox last year, and you expected TWICE the pay? The Sox countered with $2 million, which I still think is insane, but apparently that was not good enough. So they went to arbitration. Thankfully, the arbitration board saw it the Sox way, and ruled in their favor. The whole thing was foolish, but the Sox are hoping that he will be better in 2017, and he is a lefty, which now gives them 2 out of the bullpen…

So now everyone is signed for 2017, and we are at 6 days for Truck Day and 13 days to Pitchers and Catchers…And I really need to get my tickets–before there aren’t any…